When I look back at the last year of weddings, Caleb & Eddie's summer wedding at The Lake House on Canandaigua is one of the first that comes to mind. There really isn't anything I didn't absolutely love about the day: the sorbet color palette, the incredible Finger Lakes venue, and of course working with one of the most incredible couples ever. If you are reading this wondering if you really need to hire a wedding planner, take their advice when I asked them what they would tell couples planning a wedding in 2022:
“Find a wedding planner sooner and make it one of those first vendor purchases and contracts that you sign. They are someone who has your back the entire journey.”
I have so much love for the two of them (seriously – even as I'm writing this I can't help but swoon as I remember all of the details of the day). If you have been waiting for some fun summer wedding inspiration (with a colorful design, unlike the “classic” designs that are trending right now!), I think you'll love Caleb & Eddie's day as much as I did. If you are looking for a wedding planner to help make your vision a reality (in the dreamy destinations of Upstate New York – like Hudson Valley & the Finger Lakes!), you can learn more about working with us here at Verve Event Co here.
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Planning Caleb & Eddie's Summer Wedding at The Lake House on Canandaigua
Caleb and Eddie first met at Hobart and William Smith Colleges through mutual friends on the crew team; however, it wasn’t until a few years later that they hit it off. A few games of Words with Friends turned into texting, and eventually, Eddie moved down to Washington, D.C. after graduation to be with Caleb.
Their original vision for the wedding was an elegant outdoor weekend experience for all their friends and family. Unfortunately, they were forced to postpone their wedding, like many others during the pandemic. But the silver lining was when they started to replan their wedding day, a new venue option opened that wouldn’t have been possible on their original date – The Lake House on Canandaigua! It turned out to be everything they had hoped for in a wedding venue and together we brought it to life with a sorbet color palette that was perfect for summer, and completely unique to the two of them.
Video Credit: Filmwell Studios
Choosing their Wedding Colors
Caleb and Eddie originally pictured a minimalist wedding with neutral colors. They feared incorporating color would give their wedding an overly feminine look, which they didn't want. They also worried that, if not done properly, incorporating color would make it look chaotic and lack elegance or cohesiveness. As a wedding planner, I can certainly understand the concern! Although I don't find classic wedding color palettes of white and greenery particularly exciting (or unique!), they are much easier to execute than something colorful that truly looks and feels like you.
A quick tangent here! Although more “difficult”, I will always advocate for the use of color on your wedding day. Your wedding day shouldn't look like everyone else's, and it should feel just like you. If you are looking for a wedding planner to help execute your vision (or help you create a vision you love!), you can connect with us directly here.
If you insist on DIY-ing, make sure to head to our shop to grab some easy-to-use wedding planning templates (including a mood board template which will make using color a LOT easier!).
When Caleb and Eddie told me what they had envisioned, I read between the lines. They didn't really want neutral, they felt like it was “safe”. Instead, I showed them a vision board with a colorful sorbet-inspired palette. We used peaches, lilac, and deep green to represent where they met (Hobart & William Smith Colleges) and added in saffron, coral, teal, depth, and watery blue to dimension (inspired by seasonal flowers and the beautiful Finger Lakes region they love so much!).
The result was a palette that was both refined and contemporary, while still being playful and fun. Most importantly? It was completely unique to THEM and their wedding day. Once seeing the vision, they both agreed they couldn't wait to see everything brought to life!
The Wedding Attire
Both grooms spent a great deal of time designing their custom suits made from Style by Blum. Caleb went with a rich hunter-green suit that complemented perfectly with Eddie’s navy blue suit. Both grooms paired blush pink ties to accompany the suits and match their groomsmaids’ dresses. They wanted something that seemed complimentary, while not matching, and they really pulled it off perfectly. For a playful touch, Caleb wore white sneakers with rainbows down the back as an homage to their special union.
I recommended the women in the wedding party choose mismatched dresses in the same color, while the groomsmen wear matching suits to make the look feel very cohesive. The groomsmaids’ dusty mauve dresses were from Azazie and the groomsmen wore blue suits from The Black Tux and matching floral ties. The whole wedding party coordinated beautifully with the wedding color palette.
The Stationery, Menu, and Placecards:
For stationery, the couple chose a suite from Minted that matched their clean modern style and incorporated lilac, watery blue, peach, and cream. I always love when the invitations match the tone of the day, so we brought that modern contemporary feel throughout their day of paper – with menu cards, place cards, and other subtle touches (make sure to scroll to the end to see the favors/escort card display!).
Food and Drink:
During cocktail hour, guests enjoyed signature groom and groom cocktails from Bar Charlie, a nod to their own fur baby Charlie and also a favorite gastropub near their home, Bar Charley. For Eddie, an Aperol Spritz. For Caleb, a Paloma.
Then, for dessert, Eddie’s sweet tooth led the way and we made sure to provide their wedding guests' with many options. Instead of a traditional wedding cake, the grooms opted for a dessert display of mini portable bites so guests could grab one quickly before returning to the dance floor. In keeping with the day, the desserts stayed true to the color story and included, among other things, were: key lime, almond, and lemon cupcakes; peanut butter, espresso, hazelnut, and strawberry macarons; multiple cake truffles, and chocolate covered pretzels, in addition to a two-tiered wedding cake of summery lemon and strawberry cake with champagne buttercream frosting.
The Florals:
For the florals, we worked with Flowerwell to create beautiful, playful, and lush arrangements with a variety of colors along with an abundance of greenery to make for a more natural look.
For the ceremony, Flowerwell beautifully lined the aisle with bountiful arrangements that paired perfectly with not only the bridesmaid bouquets but also matching with their dusty mauve dresses. Two large arrangements anchored the top of the aisle, while two more arrangements framed both the grooms during the ceremony, with Canandaigua Lake as the backdrop – one of my favorite things about planning a wedding at The Lake House on Canandaigua.
For the reception, the couple originally wanted to bring the outdoors inside the tent for a very natural and organic feeling. In order to accomplish this at their new venue, the florist installed greenery crawling up the sides of the wood interior and flowers. The meadow boxes from the ceremony were repurposed at the reception in front of the dessert display, at the head table, in the lounge, at the bar, and anywhere else.
Countless guests agreed that the cohesiveness of the chic design was exactly the type of celebration the grooms would have planned.
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Favors:
In keeping with their destination wedding theme, the couple chose to provide luggage tags that doubled as escort cards and wedding favors to their guests. The three colors made a beautiful pattern and were customized with a quote from A. A. Milne that read, “As soon as I saw you, I knew a grand adventure was about to happen.” Perfect for the dreamy destination weekend vibe of their summer wedding at The Lake House on Canandaigua.
A Gorgeous Summer Destination Wedding at The Lake House on Canandaigua
Overall, Caleb and Eddie's wedding at The Lake House on Canandaigua was an absolute dream to be a part of. Although I still swoon over the aesthetics, some of my favorite parts of the day can't be shown in the photos. For example, one of my favorite and most unique elements of the day was their music selections. As a couple, one of the first things Caleb and Eddie bonded over (after hitting it off on Words with Friends) was their shared music tastes. However, choosing wedding songs that were gender-neutral and didn’t talk about common wedding stereotypes like “her dress” posed challenges. Eventually, they settled on “I Love You, Always Forever” by Betty Who for their processional, “Cut to the Feeling” by Carly Rae Jepsen, and “What a Man Gotta Do” by the Jonas Brothers for their custom choreographed First Dance.
As a wedding planner, it's all the little details together that make my heart fill with joy. If you are looking to plan a wedding in Upstate New York (or beyond!), you can learn more about working with Verve Event Co here. I'm Desiree, lead planner behind the brand and you can also connect directly with me here.
In the meantime, I will leave you with Caleb & Eddie's words that left me speechless:
We were driving to our minimoon and we were like ‘we didn't deserve that. It was so perfect. So flawless. It was surreal that it even happened to us and for us.' Our friends said it was the most beautiful wedding they'd ever been to.
If that doesn't make you melt a little, I don't know what will. I can't wait to see what the future holds for Caleb & Eddie. And of course, I can't wait to plan a wedding at The Lake House on Canandaigua again!
Photos were taken by the incredible Larkin and Trevor Photography. For more of Caleb & Eddie's wedding photos (and a complete list of wedding vendors), head here.
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